Kendal

Self-guided walks for the Curious...

Explore Kendal town centre with two self-guided heritage walks with a treasure hunt theme. Discover Kendal's "hidden treasures" whilst having a fun day out with family and friends!Kendal, the southern gateway to the Lake District with its unusual network of lanes (or Yards), has been famous for its production of snuff since 1792. It is also home to Kendal Mint Cake, accompanying Sir Edmund Hilary on the first successful ascent of Everest in 1953. It has its own version of the Bayeux Tapestry - the Quaker Tapestry, as well as being the inspiration for the children’s character Postman Pat. One remarkable resident was Alfred Wainwright, world-renowned for his glorious guides to the Lakeland fells.

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Booklets

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Closest Curious Walks

Curious About... Kendal

An exploration of Kendal's town centre with two self-guided heritage walks with an optional treasure hunt. Completing the treasure hunt keeps everyone actively engaged, and urges you to look up, down and every-which-way - so you won't miss out on any of the town's treasures.Explore, Discover, and Enjoy!

Most clues are chosen for their historical value, so you'll learn about the diverse culture, significant people and extraordinary events which have influenced Kendal in becoming what it is today.

This is an outdoor, unsupervised activity - so you can go at a pace which suits you, whilst keeping you healthy!

A Curious About walk is a fun and social activity for all the family and friends. Different people can take on different roles - follow the map, identify picture clues, read directions, etc - it's ideal for children from the age of 6, and if you can walk/wheelchair it, you're young enough!

The two walks have been designed so that the second one follows on from where the first one ends. Do both, or have a breather and do the second one another day! They both start and finish in the heart of the town - so buses, trains and car parks are easily available to get you there and back.

One booklet is suitable for up to 4 people, and is available to instantly download on purchase for printing at home or for using immediately on your mobile device, or we can print it for you and send it using 1st class Royal Mail.

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Curious About... Kendal

Two walks are included in the booklet, the 2nd starts where the first finishes.

1. Kirkland to Town Hall - 1.5 miles / 2.4 kms

From the historical origins of Kendal this walk takes you up Highgate and Stricklandgate, which together form the spine of this famous Lake District town. Off in all directions are the famous Kendal Yards (or alleyways), some of which you’ll get the chance to explore. Learn about Kendal’s vast and varied past from its fabulously detailed plaques, whilst gazing at centuries old buildings set within a landscape of beautiful countryside.Children's University event1.5 hoursOK but diversion maybe needed

2. Town Hall to Art Gallery - 1 mile / 1.6 kms

From Kendal’s imposing Town Hall this walk takes you up a typical and fascinating ‘Yard’ before granting you glimpses of its 13th century stone-built castle in the distance. Packed with interest and stories of its colourful history, the walk winds its way down to the River Kent, with views of the countryside over a languorous river, before ending at a nationally acclaimed gallery of art and a museum of Lakeland life.Children's University event1 hourOK, but diversion maybe needed

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The Booklet

Each booklet is A5 size. You can: a) download to your computer & print; b) download to your phone or tablet (different format) & use directly from there; c) order a pre-printed copy which we post to you. Each has a page dedicated to the history of the city; 2 pages summarising each walk with suggestions re what to visit along the way. Walk 1 has 21 clues & walk 2 has 14 - both with detailed directions to follow. There are stories about important people, places & events along the way; detailed instructions how to find a clue if you're stuck; a comprehensive map with the routes marked on.

When you click on the Add to Basket button a pop-up asks if you want to checkout using Stripe (default) or Paypal, or continue shopping. If you decide to checkout you are taken through payments via a quick & secure process managed by a third-party company called SendOwl. At the end of the payment process SendOwl will email you a confirmation email (inc download link if relevant).

Downloads

Download files are typically between 3 and 6 mb. You have 14 days to complete your download, and up to 3 attempts are permitted.
If you buy the print-at-home version you will need to print it on normal A4 paper and the email you receive, with the download link, explains how best to fold the pages to make it into an A5 booklet. If you buy the download to mobile version you will need pdf reading software on your phone or tablet, eg using the Adobe Acrobat App (free).
Please see our FAQs page for further information.

Printed Copy

The booklet has a flexible cover, which has been professionally printed. The inside pages are printed to order, to ensure that they are as up-to-date as possible. We post booklets out 1st class Royal Mail, usually the same, or next working day. A postage & packing charge of £1.49 is made for 1 or 2 booklets within the UK. 3 to 6 booklets it's £1.99, and after that it's £3.99. Outside the UK it's £2.49 for 1 booklet, £3.49 for 2 booklets, £4.99 for 3 to 6 booklets and £7.99 after that.

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If you are enrolled in the Children's University you can now gain hours towards your next award by completing one or more of our many Curious About walks.
Please note, for safety reasons a child should be accompanied by an adult, either parent/carer or person in loco parentis. Also, the booklets may require a degree of interpretation by an adult, as well as support and guidance.
To get your Children's University sticker:

Buy the download or booklet (which will contain two walks).

Complete one or both walks in your own time.

Complete the Returns Form below and send it to us:
Complete one form for each location (eg Kendal).
Let us know one additional interesting fact you discovered along the route for each walk you complete (this provides proof that you did it / them).

We will then send you an email with your sticker, which you can print, cut out and stick in your passport. Hours awarded will equal those shown against each walk.

Child's Name

Which Walks(s)?

One interesting fact per walk (plus any comments)

E-mail

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What People are Saying!

"Thanks for leading us around Kendal so smoothly. It's quite unique with its mass of 'Yards', and finishing by the river was just right. Afterwards we hiked our way up to the ruined castle, which made for a great day out. Many thanks."

"Hiya,
We had an enjoyable day yesterday doing both the walks around Kendal, despite the wind and rain whilst on the first walk. My husband and I have been a few times and never seen all the brilliant alleyways and facts about the area, so it was really interesting for us as well as our son. Ed loved the 'TARDIS' Holy Trinity church right at the start. He couldn't get over that it could hold 1100 people, which is over five times the amount of children at his school. He's still talking about it today. He also loved the gruesome fact that the New Shambles stank due to there being no sewers for the blood to run into, it's cleaver sign and was convinced he could still smell a pong of blood when walking through (Bess our dog didn't agree).It was our first Curious walk and was so enjoyable, we're looking forward to the next ones we've already bought."